As such an important purchase, you will want to make sure that you are getting the best possible car seat for your child. Your child’s age and size, as well as the type of vehicle this car seat ... will be used in, need to be considered. An infant seat is designed to accommodate newborns until they reach approximately 22 pounds; however, the weight capacity will vary based on model and manufacturer. Infant models are designed to be rear-facing, and if at all possible, should be installed in the back seat of your vehicle. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) highly recommends using a rear facing car seat with your baby until they reach at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds.

Infant car seats are smaller than other convertible or standard models. This means that smaller infants will generally fit better into these seats, but it also means that parents will need to buy another car seat when their child outgrows the first. There are, however, many advantages to a car seat geared towards infants. Most models have a convenient carrying handle so that the car seat can be used as an infant carrier and baby will never have to be removed from their car seat. Many manufacturers such as: Graco, Baby Trend, Combi and Chicco have developed infant car seats that coordinate with their strollers to form a convenient travel system. If you’re looking for an all-in-one package, a travel system is a definite possibility to consider.

Many car seat for infants, such as the Graco SnugRide, come with a stay-in-car base. With a stay-in-car base, you will not have to install the base every time you want to take baby in the car. The seat will simply snap into and out of the base, and you’ll be ready to go and come as you please. Additional bases are also available. An additional stay-in-car base is great if you have multiple vehicles that baby will ride in and you don’t want to transfer the base between vehicles.

Some of the safest and best-selling car seats for infants on the market today include those by Graco, Baby Trend, Combi, Chicco, Peg Perego and Evenflo. Many of these are constructed with EPS Energy Absorbing foam for optimal safety. The Baby Trend Flex Loc, Combi Centre DX, Graco SnugRide and Chicco KeyFit 30 have all scored well in crash-test safety.

You will also find that you have many colors and patterns to choose from when shopping for one of these car seats. Whether you’re looking for one to match your stroller, car or just a pretty color that baby will love, you’ll have plenty of options so you can find what you want.
If you’re looking for a car seat for your newborn that not only has great safety ratings, but has a higher weight capacity to accommodate bigger babies, check out the Graco SnugRide 32. This car seat has all the benefits of an infant car seat, but it has been designed to accommodate infants up to 32 pounds instead of the typical 22 pound limit. With this car seat, you’ll be able to keep your baby riding in the car in the recommended rear-facing position for a longer time.

Many parents choose to go the infant car seat route, but by doing so, you will also be committing to purchasing additional car seats as baby grows. If you are more interested in a car seat that will grow with your baby so to speak, you might want to consider a convertible car seat. A convertible car seat that can be used in the rear-facing position for infants and can later be converted to support older children, is a good option for parents who want a car seat that will adapt to their growing child.

Here at BabyHaven, we strive to make your shopping experience as pleasurable as possible. We stock many of the top brands in the industry, and with our easy category search and advanced search options, you will be able to narrow down your choices until you find that perfect car seat for baby.